Guaranitca cross

penny1947(z6 WNY)April 24, 2007

What is the possibility of S. guaranitica crossing with a microphylla? I ask this b/c one of the sports from my Black and Blue last year had red flowers and bloomed late summer until a hard freeze. At the time I collected the seed from my B&B I also had Wild Watermelon growing in close proximity. The leaves have the 'odor' of my B&B but they are shaped more like Wild Watermelon. They are also have a soft dwney feel.

I would not be surprised that guaranitica and microphylla would cross, but the hybrid would be sterile. Guaranitica has crossed with gesneraeflora (Purple Majesty), splendens (Black Night), and cardinalis form of fulgens? (Betsy's Choice). Though the chromosome number of guaranitica differs from the other parent, they still crossed. Microphylla has the same base number as gesneriiflora and fulgens, I believe.

Rich,
I don't have an image yet. I plan to get a picture of it as soon as it comes back into bloom.

At first I thought it may have crossed with coccinea as I had forgotten about my microphylla. wnile doing some watering and plant clean up the other day I noted that the leaves were actually much smaller than my coccineas and very small compared to the Black & Blue and were shaped more like the microphylla. Last year it bloomed in late summer. I hope it will bloom sooner this year so I don't have to wait that long for a photo.